When differentiating, it’s helpful to note where on the “spectrum of abstraction” your content lies. Then, see what happens when you move that content to be more abstract or more specific. It often unlocks lots of new opportunities for thinking.
All AboutDifferentiating
Sub–Categories
Depth and Complexity Icons
Cross Disciplinary
Complexity vs Skill
Math
Differentiate With Classics
Language Arts
Fuzzy Problems
Inductive Learning
Preassessment
Remixing
Enrichment
Differentiation Gone Wrong
Articles
Standards Are The Minimum, Not The Maximum
One of the most significant barriers to differentiating for gifted learners is a misunderstanding of the purpose of grade-level standards. People see grade-level standards as a maximum. The truth is the complete opposite.
The ⚡️Shocking⚡️ Number of Students Performing Above Grade Level
In a climate where we focus on who’s below-level, how many students are already ready for next year (and beyond)? Research from Johns Hopkins sheds light on the (truly) shocking number of above-level kids out there.
What Do I Do With My Early Finishers?
Wondering what to do with your early finishers? This is probably the wrong question!
Comparing The Best vs My Favorite
Are bests the same as favorites? Can your class come up with a suitable definition of the difference?
Forming A Big Idea: Details Within Details
We’ll use a deductive-style lesson. While inductive thinking is open-ended and student-controlled, deductive thinking is focused on a teacher-designed topic. It makes it easier to teach a specific concept and raise the expectations of a lesson.
Making Well-Formed Judgements In Science
Science should be more than memorizing facts. Let’s spice it up and push our students from the doldrums of remembering to the soaring heights of evaluation. While it’s true that this will take longer than just following a textbook, we’re not just teaching facts, we’re equipping students with the ability to make well-informed judgements.
Keep Their Bikes Rolling
Increasing brain stimulation for gifted kids during lessons means a reduction in behavior problems, an increase in enjoyment, and a more comfortable learning environment.
Two Key Words To Upgrade Analysis
Some little genius might suggest the environmental impact of creating bricks versus using the easily renewable sticks and straw. Perhaps there is a negative economic effect of using bricks for a house. Now students can evaluate the choice in a whole new light. And all we did was add a couple words to the question.
Reading A Book That Was Too Hard
I have a class set of HG Wells’ The Time Machine. It was affordable, a classic, and recognizeable to my students. The problem? It was written in the 19th century and is simply above most of my students’ independent reading levels. However, this book was definitely within their instructional reading level, so I turned this novel study into a read–aloud.
